Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(81)

Daniel nodded. “They’ll live in exile.”

“I agree then.” Ronald made his deal. “To show I’m a fair man, I’ll allow the wolves to go as well.”

Zack laid his gun down, bringing his hands up. “I’m staying with my master.”

“Zack, you will go,” Daniel commanded.

For the first time since he became Daniel’s servant, Zack shook his head at him. “In this, I cannot obey you, master.”

Daniel nodded and my love for Zack shot straight through the roof. Daniel held his hands in the air. “Devinshea, let him go. It’s time.”

“Damn it,” Dev cursed as he let Ronald go. When he turned to me, I could see the raw emotion on his face. He hated what he was doing. He wanted to stand and fight, but he’d made a solemn vow and would never break his word to Daniel. He walked back and took my hand. His face was set. “Come along, my goddess.”

I tried to pull away, panic starting to take over. “We can’t leave him here, Dev.”

Dev shook his head. His face was pale, his eyes older than before. “We have to. I meant what I said, wife. Kicking and screaming if necessary. Lee? Neil?”

“I’ll come with you,” my wolf vowed and I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be leaving his brother behind.

“I’ll go for now,” Neil said, but he had commitments to his lover, too.

I was shaking as I looked back at Daniel. His face in the morning light was so beautiful as he stared at me. “I love you, Z. Always have, always will. You and Dev go make those babies.”

I started to cry as Dev led me away. I turned as Ronald demanded Daniel disarm. There were two men walking forward with long, thick strings of silver rope that would hold my husband and burn into his flesh.

“Mr. Donovan,” Ronald’s voice was all business again. “I see the sword on your back. Carefully take it out and set it on the ground.”

Dev cursed again and I heard him sigh because I wasn’t complying. I wanted to get to Daniel. Dev swept me up into his arms and started to walk away. I couldn’t stand it. We would get on a boat that would take us to Scotland and I wouldn’t see Danny again. I wouldn’t see my home plane again. I might have those babies, but they would never know their other father who would have loved them so much. I struggled in Dev’s arms to try to get one last look at Danny as his hand pulled Excalibur from its sheath and the sword glittered in the morning light.

“Oh my god,” I heard Ronald swear.

Everything seemed to still as Daniel held that sword and then one by one every soldier in the area dropped to one knee, head down, right fist over their hearts.

“Dev, stop. You have to stop.” I practically screamed at him because something was happening. Something amazing.

“You should stop, Quinn.” Lee had turned, his eyes taking in the scene. Neil stood beside him.

“What?” Dev asked, turning to take in the scene. He set me to my feet as we heard Ronald’s reverent voice.

“My liege, the Order of Galahad is yours to command.”





Chapter Twenty





“Is the coffee to your liking, Your Highness?” the soldier asked. “I could try to find some cream if you like or perhaps some sugar?”

It was surreal. One minute Dev was hauling my ass to another plane because we’d worn out our welcome on this one, the next minute we were being given the freaking keys to the kingdom. It had been an hour since that dramatic scene had played out and our whole world had changed.

“Black is fine, thank you.” I was lucky they’d been able to find coffee at all. “If you wouldn’t mind seeing to the needs of my guards?”

“It would be my honor, ma’am.” He scurried off to look through the rations the soldiers had been carrying.

I sat back, taking in everything that had happened. Daniel stared intently at all the action moving around him. After Excalibur had been drawn, everything moved very quickly. The soldiers had lain down their weapons and sworn fealty to the very surprised new head of the Order of Galahad. We’d been escorted into one of the buildings that had survived Daniel’s crash down and the highly efficient soldiers quickly set up a command post and did their best to make the king feel comfortable. I reached across the table we were sitting at and placed my hand over his. He glanced up and a brief smile touched his lips.

“You should be thrilled,” I said quietly.

He sighed. “Baby, there was a part of me that was relieved when I thought it was over. You and Dev would have been safe.”

I frowned at him. “Well, suck it up, Your Highness. Fate isn’t letting you out of this so easily.”

He shook his head and refused to let go of my hand. “Don’t be pissed at me. I’m adjusting.”

The door opened and Dev walked in, looking nothing like the reckless man who had wanted to take on everyone on the island not so long ago. He’d cleaned up and was polished and in control once more. “I found someone with proper skills. He believes he can make a fairly decent Eggs Benedict from what he found in the rations and got from some of the locals. There’s a shower in a small room on the second floor some of the ferry captains use when they get stuck on the island. It’s worse than a motel but it will have to do.”